The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will begin on February 07 with Pakistan and the Netherlands locking horns for the curtain-raiser at the SSC stadium in Colombo. India, the defending champions, will open their campaign on the same evening against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Over the years, various players have earned success in the T20 World Cup with the bat. It’s not that easy to be consistent in the shortest format of the game at a decent strike rate, which will always be an advantage for the teams. Virat Kohli leads the chart, followed by the World Cup-winning captain, Rohit Sharma.

List of highest run-scorers in ICC T20 World Cup history

1.   Virat Kohli (India)

Virat Kohli, who retired from the shortest format of the game after the previous World Cup, finished the competition as the leading run-getter. The Delhi-born amassed 1292 runs in 33 innings at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81 with the help of 15 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 89 runs against West Indies in Mumbai.

Kohli retired from the format with 4188 runs in 117 innings of the T20Is at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, shouldering on 38 half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 122 runs against Afghanistan,

2.   Rohit Sharma (India)

India’s title-winning captain, Rohit Sharma, remains in second position of the table with 1220 runs in 44 innings at an average of 34.85 and a strike rate of 133.04, with the help of 12 half-centuries at the best score of 92 against Australia in the previous edition at the Darren Sammy International Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia.

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The Nagpur-born overall clubbed 4231 runs in 151 innings of the T20Is at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89, thanks to 32 half-centuries and five centuries at the best score of unbeaten 121 runs.

3.   Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka won their last T20 World Cup in 2014 when they got the better of MS Dhoni’s India in Mirpur. Mahela Jayawardene, the former captain, retired after the final of the tournament. He finished as the competition’s third leading run-getter with 1016 runs in 31 innings at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 134.74, thanks to six fifties and one century.

Jayawardene had 1493 T20I runs in 55 innings of the T20Is at an average of 31.76 and a strike rate of 133.18 with the help of nine half-centuries and one century at the best score of 100.

4.   Jos Buttler (England)

Jos Butler, the wicket-keeper batter of the England side, won the T20 World Cup for the national side in 2022 against Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He is the tournament’s fourth leading run-getter with the help of 1013 runs in 34 innings at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of 147.23, thanks to five half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 101 runs.

Buttler’s contribution, towards the beginning of the event, was in the middle order. While later on, he decided to promote him up the order and open the batter. In T20Is, the Lancashire batter has smashed a total of 3869 runs in 132 innings at an average of 35.69 and a strike rate of 148.97, with the help of 28 half-centuries and one century at the best score of 101*.

5.   David Warner (Australia)

David Warner, the left-handed opening batter of the Australian side, also won the T20 World Cup in 2021 when they beat New Zealand in the final. The southpaw is the fifth leading run-getter of the competition with 984 runs in 41 innings at an average of 25.89 and a strike rate of 134.24 with the help of eight half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 89 runs.

Warner has cashed in 3277 runs in 110 innings of the shortest format at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 142.47, shouldering on 28 half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 100 runs. He has also retired from the shortest format of the game.